[FEATURE] Create host folder if it does not exist

[gurubert]

Describe the festure
The variable checkmk_agent_folder contains a folder (path) where a new host should be created.
Currently this fails when the folder does not exist.

It would be very nice if the agent role would just create folders (without any special settings).

Component Name
Component Name: agent

Ansible Version

$ ansible --version
ansible [core 2.20.2]
  config file = /home/anarchy/r.sander/git/kunden/bbaw/ceph-deployment/ansible.cfg
  configured module search path = ['/home/r.sander/.ansible/plugins/modules', '/usr/share/ansible/plugins/modules']
  ansible python module location = /home/anarchy/r.sander/venv-ansible/lib/python3.13/site-packages/ansible
  ansible collection location = /home/r.sander/.ansible/collections:/usr/share/ansible/collections
  executable location = /home/anarchy/r.sander/venv-ansible/bin/ansible
  python version = 3.13.5 (main, Jun 25 2025, 18:55:22) [GCC 14.2.0] (/home/anarchy/r.sander/venv-ansible/bin/python3)
  jinja version = 3.1.6
  pyyaml version = 6.0.3 (with libyaml v0.2.5)

Collection Version

$ ansible-galaxy collection list
Collection                               Version
---------------------------------------- -------
ansible.posix                            2.1.0  
ansible.utils                            6.0.1  
ansible.windows                          3.3.0  
checkmk.general                          7.1.0  
community.general                        12.3.0 

[robin-checkmk]

I think we considered this a while back already and opted for not implementing it.
The issue I see first and foremost: It is convenient, but can also be unexpected.
I would argue, that you want to lay down your folder structure using the checkmk.general.folder module and then have your hosts fit neatly into it.

I am open for this discussion, implementation should be straight forward, but I would like to have a few opinions on this.

[adam-cmk]

I agree, I think that folders being autocreated would be unexpected. If we want to add an option for this, having a variable like checkmk_autocreate_tree: yes/no would be the way to do it. But I'm not convinced that is necessary.

[gurubert]

I now did something like this:

    - name: Create Host folder
      ansible.builtin.include_tasks:
        file: includes/subtask-create-checkmk-folder.yaml
      loop: "{{ checkmk_agent_folder | split('/') }}"
      loop_control:
        loop_var: path_element

and the included file contains:

- name: Set fact
  ansible.builtin.set_fact:
    folder_path: "{{ folder_path }}/{{ path_element }}"
  when: folder_path is defined and path_element != ""
- name: Set fact
  ansible.builtin.set_fact:
    folder_path: "/{{ path_element }}"
  when: folder_path is not defined and path_element != ""
- name: Create host folder
  throttle: 1
  checkmk.general.folder:
    server_url: "{{ checkmk_server_url }}"
    site: "{{ checkmk_agent_site }}"
    api_user: "{{ checkmk_agent_user }}"
    api_secret: "{{ checkmk_agent_pass }}"
    path: "{{ folder_path }}"
  when: folder_path is defined

[gurubert]

A variable to switch on/off this behaviour would be nice.

[robin-checkmk]

I started to work on an implementation, but then realized, that the checkmk.general.folder cannot create parents at this point, so providing a folder path, where the parent folder does not exist will fail. I am currently checking, if this limitation was a deliberate decision, or if we just skipped it. I definitely do not want to work around this in the role, as that introduces unnecessary complexity. This also ties into my sentiment, that one wants to manage their folder structure ahead of popping hosts in there. But alas.

I am currently uncertain, if I want to release the current state with a knows_issues note (see commit above) as it might help some folks already, or if I want to wait, whether we can tie this with together with an improvement to the folder module.

[gurubert]

This also ties into my sentiment, that one wants to manage their folder structure ahead of popping hosts in there.

Yeah, as I am now doing this it is OK for me.

[lgetwan]

I'd say:
The ansible.builtin.copy module can't create directories, either.
But the ansible.builtin.file module can create directories including their parents.

Thus, the checkmk.general.folder module should be able to create a folder and its parents.